9.5/10
Director Chan-wook Park has a reputation; he loves
revenge. Two of his best films, Oldboy
and Lady
Vengeance are focused completely on the idea of achieving an eye for an
eye. Stoker is a departure for
Park, not least because it is in English as opposed to his iconic Korean
locations and language. Stoker
is not about revenge either; it is a psychological noirish suspenseful
thriller. I use so many adjectives here
because Stoker is quite challenging to classify.
India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) sports a demeanor somewhere on
the spectrum between Wednesday Addams and Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice. She is not so morose as she is observant and
suspicious. India is right to be
suspicious, her father, Richard (Dermot Mulroney), just died in a car accident
under mysterious circumstances. India’s
mother, Evelyn (Nicole Kidman), chooses to grieve in a sort of bipolar
manner. Some days she will sleep into
the afternoon and lug around intense blood-shot eyes and other days she will
cozy up far too close for comfort with Richard’s long lost brother, Charlie
(Matthew Goode).
Charlie unexpectedly shows up at the funeral from…Europe
maybe? India cannot get a good answer
about why she has never met her uncle before.
There is something ‘off’ about Charlie.
He stares at India as if the two of them share a secret that they have
never spoken of. India is not
necessarily supernatural, but she has heightened senses of sight and
hearing. She can see minute detail from
far distances and hear any crack or groan throughout the Stoker’s immense and
creaky house.
Showcasing these heightened sensations to the audience is
what Stoker
does best. The sound mixing is luxurious
with loud pops when a hard-boiled eggshell is cracked or when India uses a
pencil sharpener to remove some blood that somehow ends up on the pointy lead. India walking up wooden stairs in perfect
time with a swaying metronome focused in the foreground is a feast for the
ears. The art direction is also
noticeably well thought out and used to play with the audience. The stark, oaken dinner table enhances
uncomfortable dinner conversation and India’s sopping wet clothes form a puddle
on the floor perhaps to make up for all of the tears nobody is shedding for her
father.
With a name such as Stoker, one may think there are some
vampire themes afoot; however, while the screenplay hints at some occult
activity, there are no vampires or zombies to be found here, only a heavy
gothic atmosphere. Everyone has such
bleached white skin and piercing eyes you may be forgiven if you think they
will melt in the sunshine, but there are many scenes outdoors in the bright
light.
Kudos to Wentworth Miller for such a bold screenplay. You may remember Miller from his role as
Michael Scofield on the TV show Prison Break. He played an engineering and problem solving
genius on the show as he broke out of numerous prisons through multiple
seasons. Here, he crafts characters in
close-up detail yet you still have no idea whose motives are innocent or who is
scheming.
There are a few scenes such as an unexpected and sensual
piano duet that I will remember for the rest of the year. Stoker is easily the best film of
2013 through the first few months. The
luscious style is equally matched and mixes seamlessly with the action on the
screen. Chan-wook Park has created
outstanding films before and he scores big with Stoker. It is a rich and rewarding ride.
Ah, this looks so incredibly good! Won't be a while until it's released where I am, but this is one I'll be seeing on the big screen I think.
ReplyDeleteI expected vampiric undertones as well with that name - in fact, that's what caught my eye. But with all the details you've pointed out, such as the heightened sensations and exaggerated appearances and Gothic feel I don't think I'll mind too much.
I had no idea Miller wrote the script! I was a huge fan of Prison Break (the first season, anyway) and I knew he went on to write scripts but that was it. This just gives me more incentive I guess.
And I might check out the other two films of Chan-wook Park's you've mentioned. I love explorations of revenge.
Careful, unlike Stoker which is psychological, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance are mucho violent. However, if revenge is up your alley, there is no better movie than Oldboy.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea Miller switched it up to go write scripts. I was shocked when I saw his name pop up on the opening credits.
Charlie, I read your review and chose this to see over some of the other junk that is out there. You pick out the elements that show this in it's best light but I found it way more affected than I had imagined. In the end, I did not care about what happened but there were things that were well done in the way the film is shot. I wanted to see this when the trailer first appeared, but for some reason did not warm up to the idea until you words. I'm glad I saw it but I feel very indifferent about it as a story.
ReplyDeleteI notice I like this film much more than almost anybody else out there. I hope I explained why but there are just some movies you see that really strike a chord. It happens a few times a year where a movie I do not expect very much from comes out of nowhere and blindsides me. Stoker did just that. Any examples of movies that did that to you?
ReplyDeleteLast year I thought Looper was going to be that way but it turned out a lot of people liked it the way I did. Everybody has guilty pleasures, but seems different than what you are talking about. It's not just that you enjoyed the film but that it touches you in some way that is memorable. I'm going to have to think on this and get back to you.
ReplyDeleteHaaaa, I finally watched this film, and I think I'm with you on being a huge fan of it.
ReplyDeleteIt was - it was just so IMMERSIVE. I know that the exaggerated audio was meant to indicate India's heightened senses but I think that was one of the ways in which the film pulls you into her world, both literally and figuratively.
And you're right about that piano duet. I think I held my breath through it - it was so bizarre, and very well-acted.
The whole thing was a work of art really. It is a very 'slow' film but it somehow felt like the slowness contributed to the way the film submerged you in India's story.
I just wonder about Charlie though: considering his situation, how did he find out about India? Even if his brother told him about her birth, would he have admitted India's 'special' quality to Charlie, when that was the very reason he isolated himself from Charlie? I dunno. The script is great, but it doesn't answer that. Actually I think the unanswered questions are one of its strengths but...
anyway, sorry to come babble here, but after seeing it I've been meaning to re-read your review with my viewing experience in mind.
I love that you took the time to find this film! We're getting toward the end of the year and Stoker is still way up there on my Top 10 list. So glad you liked it and that it had an impact on you. I love comments like these.
ReplyDelete